Closing Your Mind
by Potionmaker
Summary: Contains HBP spoilers. RD Slash. Draco has to put aside his personal feelings to accomplish his part. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Warning: Ｃontains HBP spoilers and slash. Implied one-sided Ron/Draco.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter universe or any of the characters.

**Closing Your Mind**

Draco heard a knock on the door of his room and knew that it was _her_.

On the day he had come back to the Manor after the last semester of his fifth year and found his aunt, Bellatrix, waiting for him in the sitting room, things had changed completely. After his father's fiasco at the Ministry and imprisonment in Azkaban, Draco knew some retribution was inevitable, yet hadn't expected things to move this fast.

Draco hastily rose up from his seat to the door. Behind the door stood Bellatrix, looking graceful and dignified as usual.

"I hope you are ready, Draco," she said quietly as she proceeded inside. Draco nodded shortly, closing the door and following after her. Bellatrix stopped at the center of the room and waited for him. Once they stood face to face, she took out her wand and looked straight at Draco.

"As I have explained to you last night, to become a capable Death Eater, Draco, you'll need to close your mind to your enemies. I'm sure you already understand that this will be undoubtedly necessary for you, especially when your'e trying to carry out the Dark Lord's order at Hogwarts with Dumbledore and Snape around."

"Yes, I understand," said Draco determinedly.

Bellatrix nodded, then raised her wand in position.

"We shall waste no time, then. Let us begin. _Legilimens_ !"

Before Draco could concentrate, he was having flashbacks of memories. Draco was four, riding the broomstick for the first time. Then the memory shifted to the first day of Hogwarts on the Hogwarts Express, his offered hand rejected by Potter, and then to a Quidditch match, the snitch snatched away by Potter at a spot mere inches from Draco's outstretched hand. Then out of no where, he could now hear the chorus of the song he had made himself, and he knew it was a different game this time. He saw Weasley looking desperate in front of the goal hoops, failing to catch the Quaffle. He saw Weasley's retreating back after the match, Weasley blushing hard and shaking when Draco imitated him dropping a Quaffle in the hallway, Weasley glaring in Draco's direction at the Great Hall, and-

"I don't think you're concentrating hard enough, Draco."

Bellatrix's voice came right inside his head, and Draco shuddered at the sudden intrusion. He gaped at the space in front of him, not meeting Bellatrix's eyes. He didn't know what to say, but he could feel her piercing glare directed to him. He felt cold sweat trickling down his neck. Visions of Weasley were the last things he wanted his aunt to see. He took one deep breath. 'Relax and concentrate', he thought to himself, and straightened up.

Bellatrix raised her wand before Draco's face for the second time.

"Now, let's try again. Do concentrate harder this time, Draco. _Legilimens_ !"

This time, it started with visions of his father. Lucius was listening closely to Draco's news of the Gryffindor trio with a half-smile on his face. Lucius was looking disappointed finding out that Draco wasn't the best in his year. Lucius was looking livid facing Arthur Weasley at Flourish and Blotts. Draco noticed with interest that Weasley was turning bright red just as much as his father. He saw Weasley fuming when he called Granger a Mudblood. But then he now saw a big smile on Weasley's face as he saved the first goal at the final game of the season, and it secretly made his heart melt. In the shower room, where Draco had sneaked in, he saw streams of hot water running down Weasley's back, how he- but no, he went too far this time. These visions ought not to be seen by Bellatrix, realized Draco, and suddenly opened his eyes. Bellatrix was staring at him with ice cold eyes.

"I, that was..."

He tried to explain, but words failed him.

"Draco, this is no time to think about your own little problem."

Draco blushed hard. He felt her eyes lingering on his face, but didn't dare to look up.

"Just think of the importance of what we're doing and the possiblity of what may occur if you fail to master Occlumency. Clear your mind of all that rubbish before you go to sleep tonight, and we shall resume the lesson tomorrow. Goodnight, Draco."

"Goodnight, Aunt Bellatrix."

Draco managed to say back, his voice hoarse.

Bellatrix turned on her heels and walked out of the room. Listening to her retreating foot steps down the hall, Draco was shaking slightly, embarrassed. Why did he have to end up recalling such memories of _him_, for Merlin's sake, as if it were of any importance to him?

Draco walked over to the book shelf and pulled out an old hardcover book he had never read the contents of. Between the pages was a picture of Weasley and his family in Egyptian costumes, which Draco had cut out from the Daily Prophet some years ago. Giving it one last look, he tore the picture in half, and then to pieces. He felt a surge of pride as he did so.

Tomorrow, he would be more successful and Bellatrix would be proud.


	2. Chapter 2

Warning: Includes HBP spoilers.  
Pairing: Ron/Draco and mentions of Ron/Lavender  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Big thanks to viu, Midnight808, PeeJay1919, Yoko.S, Jux and those who read the previous chapter.

I'm planning this story to be four chapters long, but each chapter will not be directly connected with the others, maybe more like a series of one-shots.

-----

Draco was absent-mindedly poking his fried egg with his fork. He still didn't have a clue as to how to repair the Vanishing Cabinet. Borgin hadn't written him back, though Draco had been owling him countless times since theｙ last met at Borgin and Burkes, reminding him to keep the other half there and demanding for advice for bringing the broken one back to life. It was all that mattered to him now, or it was supposed to be. He was losing sleep. If he could just skip all the classes. But that would attract the others' attention too much.

Now twirling the contents of his pumpkin juice glass, Draco was faintly conscious of the lively chats and laughter of nearby students. He despised and envied them at the same time for their irrelevance and ignorance of what he alone was facing right now.

After letting out a small sigh, he lifted his head to notice familiar scent tickling his nostrils; a mingle of chocolate, perfumed bubbles in the Prefects' bath and sun-warmed hair. He hated himself for having to look around to see if _he_ was standing anywhere near. But to his bewilderment and perhaps disappointment, Weasley was nowhere near him. Draco stole a glance at the Gryffindor table and saw him there, sitting with that Brown girl again. Lately, she was all over him, ignorant to the furtive looks Potter was throwing at her or to the giggling crowd at the Hufflepuff table. What a disgusting show. It really did make Draco lose his appetite.

When he turned his gaze back to his table, he noticed Pansy and Blaise exchanging mischievous glances at each other while looking at Goyle from time to time. It clicked in Draco's mind. Blaise had probably nicked some Amortentia from Slughorn's office and slipped it in Goyle's glass.

Blaise caught Draco's eyes and bent lower to whisper, "We might be witnessing something interesting here." Pansy suppressed a giggle. For a second, Draco pictured Goyle running after Slughorn, and lowered his eyebrows. "Disgusting," he murmured, and abruptly stood up to leave the table. Pansy half rose from her seat in an attempt to follow him, but Draco raised a hand to stop her.

"No, Pansy. You enjoy the rest of your meal."

She looked crestfallen, sinking back in her seat. Not that Draco cared. Everything around him felt distant and unimportant these days. He hated that he still had to put up with the mundane, trivial things when he had more important things to do. He hated Blaise for nicking that stupid potion and making him smell that scent again. Draco hated that potion. Hated the intoxicating scent he had smelled the instant he stepped inside Slughorn's Potions classroom. Above all, he hated himself for being disturbingly reminded of the one thing he had to give up to focus on the task he was given from the Dark Lord.


	3. Chapter 3

Warning: Includes HBP spoilers  
Pairing: Ron/Draco, and mentions of Ron/Lavender, Ron/Hermione and Draco/Pansy  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: I'd like to give a big thank you to Tara for betaing this chapter.

Many thanks to viu, Midnight808, Cammie Jensen, Ingwaz, for reviewing. Thank you, viu, for kindly encouraging me to post my fic at Fire and Ice. I don't mind at all, and I'd love to, but I don't have an LJ account. Maybe I'll try posting it when I get one sometime.

-----

It was a mistake that Draco chose to continue with Divination this year. He wouldn't have selected the subject if he hadn't thought it was a cushy class. The noise and discomfort of having a class with a pair of Gryffindor girls on their own were something Draco had not expected. But now that he had to tolerate two hours almost every other day with them in the heated, heavily perfumed circular room for a year, he would usually find a seat as far as possible from the two. But sometimes when he came a little behind the others and had no other choice than a seat near them, he had to endure their occasional chatters during class. Their whispers and giggles got on his nerves, especially because he thought he knew what they were talking about - the things that seemed to be the only interest the girls of his age had. The Brown girl was, in Draco's opinion, a total love-sick idiot who could think of nothing else than boys - in this particular case, a Weasley.

Today was one of those unlucky days that Draco found it difficult to concentrate on the ways to repair the Cabinet because of the distraction from a certain nearby table. Lavender Brown was not looking very happy these days, though. In their fragments of conversation that reached his ear, he could make out phrases like 'avoiding me', 'have doubt', 'Hermione' in the same sentence. It was obvious that she seemed to consider Granger as someone who would threaten her and Weasley's so-called relationship. As if that Mudblood had any chance. Then again, this was the same girl who seemed more concerned about Granger visiting the Hospital Wing behind her back than Weasley's condition after he had drunk the mead that nearly took his life away.

When the bell rang and the students were dismissed from the day's lesson, Brown instantly rose up from her seat and rushed to the door, leaving Patil behind. Disgusted with the usual sight, Draco gathered his books languidly and stood up to leave the room allowing a good couple of minutes after the Gryffindor girl's exit. He wouldn't want to witness anything unpleasant on his way back to the dormitory.

But maybe it wasn't his day today, or maybe he was a little too early to leave the classroom. When he turned the corner of a hallway on the seventh floor, some feet ahead stood Brown with her back turned, and in front of her was none other than Weasley, whom Draco'd been trying to avoid any kind of contact with these days. Draco scowled and clicked his tongue. For a moment, he thought of just backing away to take a different route to the Slytherin Common Room unnoticed, but when Brown snaked her arms around Weasley's neck and pulled him down towards her for a kiss, Draco stopped dead in his tracks. He felt a rush of jealousy spread throughout him, but then noticed that Weasley's eyes were half-open. Those blue eyes wandered unknowingly until they landed on Draco's, and he almost shivered at the sudden eye contact.

Weasley broke the kiss, and said something quietly to Brown that made her pout and give him one last peck on the cheek and walk away to the opposite direction from where Draco was standing.

After seeing her off, Weasley slowly turned his head to face Draco. This time, it really did send shivers down his spine. Those threatening glares sent from him were always reserved just for him. Not until now did he fully realize how he'd missed them. But rather than showing it, he quickly gathered his composure and walked over to where Weasley was standing, placing a smirk on his face.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Weasley spat out in a tone like he had poison in his mouth.

"Nothing," Draco drawled, "you just happen to be in my way as always, Weasley."

Weasley narrowed his eyes, but didn't move an inch. It might've been the angle of the light, but coming close, Draco could tell how pale the boy's complexion was and how distinct the bags under his eyes were. So the venom did cause him harm despite the Bezoar. When Draco had first heard the news, he had almost laughed, but mostly out of hysteria. Weasley certainly did have a special flair in getting in Draco's way, however unconscious. Draco might've felt a bit of remorse for what he had done, although unintentionally, to make the usually vibrant redhead look that way, but he wasn't going to admit it. Somehow, the progress on the repair of the Vanishing Cabinet seemed to have a correlation with whatever it was that he felt for Weasley. The more he cared about him, the less likely he seemed to find a way to fix the Cabinet. He thought Weasley was partly to blame for his unsuccess, and felt that he had to say or do something for it.

"Out of the Hospital Wing already? It really is a pity we all have to face the torture of having to see you and Brown act like cats in heat again," said Draco in a bored tone.

"Shut up, Malfoy. I don't think it makes much difference from what you do with Parkinson."

Draco chuckled and quirked an eyebrow.

"So you've been watching, have you? Found any tips to, you know, use it on your little girlfriend? Or maybe on the Mudblood?"

Weasley's face flushed.

"You totally disgust me, Malfoy."

"So the answer is no? Are you sure? I don't intend to meddle in your little love affairs, and forgive me for having to say this, but whatever you've been doing with that Brown girl lately, you still look a little inexperienced in my eyes, Weasley."

Weasley turned bright red, clenching his fists, and Draco's smile spread wider. He always loved to see the effects of his words on him. Suddenly, it occurred to him that a little surprise wouldn't hurt Weasley.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Weasley," said Draco, quickly glancing down the hall to see that nobody was coming, "I can take care of that."

With that, Draco closed the gap between them and quickly placed a rough hand on the back of Weasley's neck and tugged him towards him for a searing kiss, so unlike the one he must've had from Brown just a while ago, but only to be shoved away in a not so gentle way.

"What was that for? You're insane," said Weasley, furrowing his eyebrows and curling his lips in disgust, wiping them with the back of his hand.

"Am I?" replied Draco, smiling sardonically.

Weasley narrowed his eyes.

"What are you up to, Malfoy? You don't seem to be the same attention-seeking, prejudiced prat I used to know. Well, you're still a prat, I'm sure of that, but a different kind of prat."

Draco snorted.

"_You_ used to know? What did you know about me? Besides, the same goes for you, Weasley. You don't seem to be the same Weasel I knew, like you had your pathetic excuse of a brain replaced by hormones. But I guess that's you."

Weasley looked murderous, but before he could decide to jump on him, Draco quickly walked past him in the same direction Brown had disappeared a couple of minutes ago.

"I'll get you for this, Malfoy!"

He heard Weasley yell at his back, and laughed inwardly. What are you going to do, Weasley, kiss me back?

As Draco walked his way to the dormitory, he was feeling strangely pleasant. It was a bitter kiss, probably the first and last kiss with the redhead, but he knew that at least Weasley had been watching him close enough to note the oddness in him.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  
Warning: This is Ron/Draco slash with HBP spoilers.  
A/N: Another big thank you to my wonderful beta, Tara.  
Thank you so much for the reviews. Thanks for your recommendation, viu. I knew the website, but I appreciate it all the same. I think that website is one of the best I've ever known.

----

Draco couldn't stop the slight quivering of his hands. In five minutes, the Death Eaters were to appear at the end of the Cabinet of which he was now standing in front of. Which meant, shortly afterwards, he was to confront Dumbledore one on one at the top of the Astronomy Tower had the plan worked.

When he'd finally repaired the Cabinet several hours ago, he couldn't help himself from screaming in glee. He didn't know how many hours, how many days he'd spent in the hidden room full of smuggled or forbidden items whose owners were unknown, but tonight, he would finally leave the place for good. He would be able to get rid of the constant questions and inquiring looks from Crabbe and Goyle, the persistent attention from Pansy, the annoying prying of Potter, and - the brusque indifference from Weasley.

Draco chewed his bottom lip bitterly. He let himself linger on a certain object he'd been avoiding for the first time in weeks. It seemed to him like it had been months since that kiss with Weasley. Though he still remembered the taste of his lips and the shocked expression on his face all too well, he didn't allow himself to think about them very often. They were mere distraction to him. After that short encounter, he had noticed that Weasley had been sometimes glaring in his direction during class or at meals, and he had even tried to stop Draco in the hall once. But Draco had kept ignoring him purposefully, and Weasley soon seemed to have forgotten it all, back to his normal routine of bossing about first and second years, or absorbed in the company of Potter and Granger, now that he and Brown had seemed to have broken up.

Although Draco was rather glad for this attitude of Weasley's since he virtually had no time to spare for him, he couldn't help contemplating how different their lives had become. While Weasley seemed to be busy in his own little world, Draco was going to leave Hogwarts. Tonight, he was going to leave all his innocence behind in this castle he had spent almost six years to become a murderer. It was something completely different from just receiving an ugly mark on your arm. You would never be the same again.

There were rustling noises from his side of the Vanishing Cabinet, and Draco was suddenly snapped back to reality. They were here.

Leading several Death Eaters out of the Room of Requirement to the halls of Hogwarts was something surreal. If Draco thought he was comfortable enough without his aunt to help him go through this greatest ordeal of his, it was a lie. She had told him that she had a very important something else to do on this particular night and wouldn't be able to join him. He was certain, had he carried out his plan successfully without Bellatrix's help, his attainment would appear greater in the Dark Lord's eyes. But still, he wasn't quite sure about the gaunt Death Eaters who were following him. He had hardly met them. They weren't the ones in the Dark Lord's most inner circle as far as Draco knew, but of course, most of the closest ones were in Azkaban now because of Potter.

Draco cautiously opened the door and glanced over the hallway on the seventh floor. He was certainly feeling the enormous pressure for what was coming, but currently had a more pressing issue to occupy his mind with. Just a few minutes ago, Draco had frozen to the spot when he had found out that Greyback was the last one coming out of the Cabinet. He hadn't heard that the gruesome blood-sick werewolf was joining tonight. It was something completely unexpected. Greyback's notorious name did have great effect on making threats against certain people, but Draco himself would have never wanted to see him in person.

Seeing that the hall was clear, he stepped outside the room, beckoning the others to follow suit. But once he was out in the corridor, in the dark shadow of one of the classroom doors, he spotted Weasley, with his sister and Longbottom in tow. Draco felt his blood drain from his face when their eyes met. He was aware that Potter had been prowling around this room almost every day, but Weasley? He had never seen him roam about this floor before except for the nights he had his Prefect duties. What was he doing here, on this particular day of all others?

But there was no time for him to question about that or get angry at him now. He noticed that behind him, Greyback's breathing had become faster at the sight of the Gryffindor students. Simultaneously, Draco's pulse became increasingly rapid. With his Hand of Glory in one hand, Draco quickly searched inside his pocket with the other hand to take out his Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder he had purchased from the Weasley's twin brothers by Owl Order Service. When his fingers reached it, he hastily pulled it out open and threw it in the air. Immediately, the surroundings went pitch black. Even a werewolf couldn't have eyesight in this darkness, and his sense of smell had to be almost reduced to that of a human's right now without the full moon. Draco was the only one who had proper vision in this area with his Hand of Glory.

In the darkness, he could see Weasley fumbling around, wand pointing to all directions he faced, shoving his sister and Longbottom behind him towards the wall as if to protect them. Draco wished Weasley would just flee like a coward and get himself out of here, but knew he wouldn't, and these were exactly the times that Draco became especially intolerable with the Gryffindor courage that they so prided amongst themselves, which Draco thought was nothing but futile.

"Draco, what are you doing? Lead us to the Tower, quick."

One of the Death Eaters, the stocky witch, spoke to Draco in a hiss, nudging him in the side with her elbow.

"Wait here, there's one thing I have to make sure of," said Draco, quickly pulling away from the Death Eaters and striding over to the other side of the hall to Weasley.

The Gryffindor seemed to have noticed someone approaching. His eyes grew wide and panicky, and he opened his mouth to speak, but Draco quickly placed a hand over his mouth to shut any sound coming out.

"Don't say a word and don't move an inch," hissed Draco, almost threateningly into Weasley's right ear, then added just faintly audible, "if you don't want to die." He felt Weasley go stiff under his hand, and even in this extreme situation, Draco could smell his hair, the same scent that had come out from the Amortentia, like he'd been lying in the grass under the summer sun for hours. But before the familiar sensation could overwhelm him, he quickly let go of the redhead and strode back to the awaiting Death Eaters.

He didn't allow himself to look back at Weasley after that. He couldn't be distracted, nor did he want the other Death Eaters to sense anything unnecessary. Not now.

"Something wrong, Draco?" The pudgy witch asked, looking uncertainly in Draco's direction.

"No, just made sure the coast was clear. Now, let's go."

Draco grabbed her arm making sure that the others were sticking behind her. He had to hurry before the effect of the Darkness Powder wore off.

He didn't know when he would see Weasley again, or would he ever see him again, but even if he did, he wouldn't be the same. The Draco Malfoy whom Weasley had known for six years would soon be gone. Something welled up in Draco's chest and made him hard to breathe, and he clutched tight to his Hand of Glory as if it was the only thing that guided him to the right path in all this chaos. There wasn't any other option, anyway.

As Draco headed towards the Astronomy Tower with the Death Eaters following behind, he was unconsciously tracing his finger with his thumb, where he had worn his Slytherin house ring. He could feel the imprint on his now empty finger. The ring was like a token to him of the undisturbed, innocent years of his life he'd spent at Hogwarts. He didn't know why, but he had taken it off and slipped it in the pocket of Weasley's robe. Somehow, it seemed safe there. The ring would be be kept in Weasley's pocket unharmed until Draco got to wear it someday again if that day ever came, and if Weasley never abandoned the ring.

But until then, _goodbye, Weasley_.

- fin -

This is the end of this fic. Thanks for reading. I know it's not a very happy ending, because I had to write this in line with Book Six, but in my mind, Ron and Draco usually end up together no matter what happens in between, and this fic is no exception. I'm thinking of writing a more lighter fic next time, though.


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